Nate Diaz is reportedly considering ending his two and a half years of absence from the UFC as the veteran McGregor has chosen Conor McGregor as his opponent.
Will Nate Diaz fight in the UFC again?
Stockton Slugger is said to be interested in returning to the UFC, and an Insider report suggests that Diaz will be able to return to full training in the later stages of 2025.
Recently, a veteran MMA fighter appeared on the “HJR Podcast” and added more fuel to the fire by naming Conor McGregor, Iliatopria and Max Holloway as their ideal enemies.
Despite these claims, the reality that Diaz is returning to the UFC is quite unlikely, as he made a statement about his return for several years.
However, former UFC star Chael Sonnen has revealed that he is really thinking about the possibility of Diaz coming back and is making the necessary calls to schedule the fight.
Sonnen said: “I know you guys want to see Nate, and I know how much you love him. You don’t know. He’s not kidding. He’s calling and calling to find his enemy. He’s sincere.”
A key feature that Diaz could support with a push to make a comeback to the UFC is his popularity among fans. Because the company is currently struggling with the amount of superstars.
At the age of 40, Diaz entered the final stages of his professional athlete career, and if he could return to the UFC like this, he would need to be quicker than later.
Additionally, the former UFC lightweight contender jumped into the world of boxing, losing to Jake Paul in August 2023 and winning the decision victory over Jorge Masvidal in July 2024.
When did Nate Diaz last fight in the UFC?
Nate Diaz has been involved in the sports of MMA for over 20 years, and his brother Nick also enjoys a strong career in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
As of May 2025, Nate Diaz had a professional MMA record of 22-13, with UFC records standing 18-12 (first victory in the ultimate fighter finale in June 2007).
After his ultimate fighter finale victory, his UFC career began with four consecutive victories between 2007 and 2009.
His biggest fight took place in March 2016 as Diaz submitted Conor McGregor at UFC 196 and lost the rematch in a unanimous decision at UFC 202.
Diaz couldn’t reach the height of two matches against the Irish, and his final match at the UFC took place in September 2022.
Who can Nate Diaz face in the return of the UFC?
As mentioned earlier, Diaz chose McGregor, Holloway and Topuria as three opponents if he returned to the UFC, but all of these are not for different reasons.
Ilia Topuria is set to compete with Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC lightweight title at UFC 317, which is significantly higher than Diaz in both UFC rankings and public recognition.
It’s also hard to imagine Diaz coming back for 155 pounds. His boxing match will be played at 185 pounds against Jake Paul and 175 pounds against Masvidal.
This is an important reason why there’s no chance of a match against Max Holloway, and the former featherweight champion won’t compete in the UFC over 155 pounds.
But the battle that makes no sense in terms of interest, weight and history is a trilogy against Conor McGregor, as the Irish took a long break from the sport.
As both fighters each get one and gain weight on vacation, if they both decide to return to the UFC, the third encounter may not make sense.
One fighter who is interested in matches against big UFC names is welterweight star Michael Morales recently rose to eighth in the rankings in a victory over Gilbert Burns.
